Regional outbreak of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase–producing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa (KPC-CRPA) are rare in the United States. An outbreak of KPC-CRPA was investigated in Texas using molecular and epidemiologic methods and 17 cases of KPC-CRPA were identified. The isolates were genetically related and harbored the emerging P. aeruginosa multilocus sequence type 235, the first in the United States.

591The “Big 6”: A purpose-based framework for motivating and teaching epidemiologic methods

Focus of Presentation Many beginning students in health-related fields do not understand the types of questions that epidemiology can address. This results in underappreciation of the relevance of epidemiology. Even students dedicated to learning epidemiology and/or medicine have difficulty identifying the common features of disparate research questions and hence are limited in their ability to critique research. The reasons for these limitations are multifold, but we believe that traditional approaches of teaching epidemiology □ by study design □ is a substantial contributor. To better promote and deepen understanding of epidemiology, we have developed a purpose-based teaching approach called the “Big 6”. Findings In courses aimed towards graduate students in epidemiology and medical students, we now introduce what epidemiologic research can do and how to perform it according to the general purpose/goal/objective of research. We focus on six of the most common purposes/goals/objectives - the “Big 6”. Conclusions Introducing epidemiology according to general purposes of research (the “Big 6”) gives students a framework to understand the relevance of epidemiology and rapidly critique the validity of epidemiologic research. Key messages A purpose-based approach to teaching epidemiology may be more engaging and promote better understanding and application of epidemiologic methods.

590Online + In-person: A Model for the Instruction of Contemporary Epidemiologic Methods in Resource-Limited Settings

Focus of Presentation Many low-income countries cannot support faculty to develop contemporary graduate-level courses in epidemiology and biostatistics. There are also insufficient resources to support all students who are interested in traveling abroad to study in resource-rich settings. To address this, we describe our experience with training a few students from resource-limited countries in the U.S. who have subsequently returned to their home countries and became instructors in a novel online plus in-person teaching model. Findings Most courses at our major U.S. training program in epidemiology videotape lectures for viewing on one’s own and post all other materials (e.g., homework) on the course’s website. The weekly learning cycle culminates with an in-person high-level small group discussion, led by a faculty member who facilitates 10-15 students. For the past 5 years, non-U.S. scholars from Africa and South America who have taken our courses in the U.S. have travelled back to their countries and become small group leaders for our courses. Identical to U.S. students, the students in these international venues view videotaped lectures, access other materials online, and have weekly in-person small group discussions. These international students represent another concurrent small group for the U.S-based course; they have identical access and evaluation. Conclusions By pairing online resources from a resource-rich setting with local in-person instruction, we provide students in resource-limited settings access to contemporary instruction in epidemiology at very low cost. Key messages Online plus local in-person teaching is a feasible model for providing instruction regarding epidemiologic methods in resource-limited settings.

Invited Commentary: Epidemiologic Methods as Applied to Epidemiology Education—Goals and Expectations to Advance and Diversify the Field

In their accompanying article, Brown and Cox (Am J Epidemiol. 2020;000(00):000–000) offer strategies for improving introductory epidemiology instruction in large undergraduate classes using a team-based instructional approach. Effective epidemiology instruction can increase the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning in our discipline. Recent work has suggested that epidemiology education can also be targeted as a mechanism to fuel equity and progress in the field. In this commentary, I contextualize Brown and Cox’s article within the literature on epidemiology instruction for undergraduates. I also explore the status of methods for measuring teaching and learning effectiveness in our field. I revisit what makes epidemiology a unique science and connect this with instructional strategies that have the potential to capitalize on these features. Lastly, I consider whether our field can improve in developing methods of measuring the effectiveness of epidemiology instruction for achieving these aims. Ultimately, as I suggest, increasing the rigor of methods for evaluating epidemiology instruction will serve to diversify, enhance, and advance our discipline.